hide

¹

[ hahyd ]

verb (used with object)

, hid, hid·den or hid, hid·ing.

1. to conceal from sight; prevent from being seen or discovered:

   Where did she hide her jewels?

   Synonyms: disguise, shroud, veil, cloak, mask, screen

   Antonyms: display, reveal

2. to obstruct the view of; cover up:

   The sun was hidden by the clouds.

3. to conceal from knowledge or exposure; keep secret:

   to hide one's feelings.

   Synonyms: suppress, dissemble, disguise

verb (used without object)

, hid, hid·den or hid, hid·ing.

1. to conceal oneself; lie concealed:

   He hid in the closet.

noun

1. British. a place of concealment for hunting or observing wildlife; hunting blind.

verb phrase

1. to go into or remain in hiding:

   After breaking out of jail, he hid out in a deserted farmhouse.

hide

²

[ hahyd ]

noun

1. the pelt or skin of one of the larger animals (cow, horse, buffalo, etc.), raw or dressed.
2. Informal.
   1. the skin of a human being:

      Get out of here or I'll tan your hide!

   2. safety or welfare:

      He's only worried about his own hide.

3. Australia and New Zealand Informal. impertinence; impudence.

verb (used with object)

, hid·ed, hid·ing.

1. Informal. to administer a beating to; thrash.
2. to protect (a rope, as a boltrope of a sail) with a covering of leather.

hide

³

[ hahyd ]

noun

, Old English Law.

1. a unit of land measurement varying from 60 to 120 acres (24 to 49 hectares) or more, depending upon local usage.

hide

¹

/ haɪd /

noun

1. the skin of an animal, esp the tough thick skin of a large mammal, either tanned or raw
2. informal.
   the human skin
3. informal.
   impudence

verb

1. informal.
   tr to flog

hide

²

/ haɪd /

verb

1. to put or keep (oneself or an object) in a secret place; conceal (oneself or an object) from view or discovery

   to hide from the police

   to hide a pencil

2. tr to conceal or obscure

   the clouds hid the sun

3. tr to keep secret
4. tr to turn (one's head, eyes, etc) away

noun

1. a place of concealment, usually disguised to appear as part of the natural environment, used by hunters, birdwatchers, etc US and Canadian equivalentblind

hide

³

/ haɪd /

noun

1. an obsolete Brit unit of land measure, varying in magnitude from about 60 to 120 acres

Derived Forms

• ˈhideless, adjective
• ˈhider, noun
• ˈhidable, adjective

Other Words From

• hida·ble adjective
• hida·bili·ty noun
• hider noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hide¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English hiden, Old English hȳdan; cognate with Old Frisian hūda; akin to Greek keúthein “to hide”; hide ²( def )

Origin of hide²

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hȳd; cognate with Dutch huid, Old Norse hūth, Danish, Swedish hud, Old High German hūt ( German Haut ); akin to Latin cutis “skin,” Greek kýtos “hollow, container”; cutis, hide ¹

Origin of hide³

First recorded before 900; Middle English hide, Old English hīd(e), hīg(i)d “portion of land, family,” from Germanic hīwidō; akin to Latin cīvis “citizen,” Greek keîsthai “to lie down, rest, remain, abide”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hide¹

Old English hӯd; related to Old Norse hūth, Old Frisian hēd, Old High German hūt, Latin cutis skin, Greek kutos; see cuticle

Origin of hide²

Old English hӯdan; related to Old Frisian hēda, Middle Low German hüden, Greek keuthein

Origin of hide³

Old English hīgid; related to hīw family, household, Latin cīvis citizen

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hide nor hair, a trace or evidence, as of something missing: Also hide or hair.

   They didn't find hide nor hair of the murder weapon.

More idioms and phrases containing hide

• cover one's ass (hide)
• tan one's hide

Synonym Study

Hide, conceal, secrete mean to put out of sight or in a secret place. Hide is the general word: to hide one's money or purpose; A dog hides a bone. Conceal, somewhat more formal, is to cover from sight: A rock concealed them from view. Secrete means to put away carefully, in order to keep secret: The spy secreted the important papers.

See skin.

Example Sentences

This is just one of innumerous examples of how synthetics are the wave of the future: anyone cyber-savvy enough can acquire the equipment and ingredients, which are easier to hide and can better withstand the local weather than a coca crop or a poppy plantation, effectively democratizing the drug trade away from Mafia-esque syndicates.

From Salon

The production can’t hide the show’s meretricious heart, but like the song that Scherzinger endows with Puccini-esque splendor, Lloyd has discovered “new ways to dream” Webber’s musical.

From Los Angeles Times

“When you managed to get something like that, you’d have to hide so the other kids wouldn’t find out and try to take it from you,” he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times

Implicit in many discussions about "unity" was a hope that all those liberals would shut up, bend the knee, go back into the closet, or whatever else it takes to hide or eradicate difference.

From Salon

But Jackie remained in the small Pennsylvania town where he tried to hide from another fearsome vampire because he really liked the people who lived there.

From Salon

Related Words

• bury
• camouflage
• cover
• disguise
• hole up
• mask
• obscure
• plant
• protect
• shelter
• shield
• smuggle
• stash
• suppress
• tuck away
• withhold